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Protective effects of nutritional supplementation with arginine and glutamine on the penis of rats submitted to pelvic radiation
Author(s) -
Medeiros J. L.,
Costa W. S.,
FelixPatricio B.,
Sampaio F. J. B.,
Cardoso L. E. M.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
andrology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.947
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 2047-2927
pISSN - 2047-2919
DOI - 10.1111/andr.134
Subject(s) - connective tissue , glutamine , tunica albuginea (penis) , immunohistochemistry , arginine , penis , chemistry , staining , medicine , endocrinology , pathology , anatomy , biochemistry , amino acid
Summary Radiotherapy is widely used to treat pelvic malignancies, but normal tissues near the target tumour are often affected. Our aims were thus to determine whether the structural organization of the rat penis is altered by radiation, and whether supplementation with l ‐arginine ( ARG ) or l ‐glutamine ( GLN ) would have protective effects against these alterations. Groups of rats were treated with: no intervention ( CONTR ); pelvic radiation, followed by sacrifice 7 ( RAD 7) or 15 ( RAD 15) days later; and pelvic radiation, daily supplementation with ARG or GLN , followed by sacrifice 7 ( RAD 7+ ARG , RAD 7+ GLN ) or 15 ( RAD 15+ ARG , RAD 15+ GLN ) days after radiation. Structural components in the corpus cavernosum ( CC ), tunica albuginea of the corpus spongiosum ( TACS ) and urethral epithelium ( UE ) were analysed using stereological and immunohistochemical methods. The results showed that in the CC , connective tissue was increased by 18% in RAD 15 ( p < 0.04), but this change was partially prevented in RAD 15+ GLN ( p < 0.05) and RAD 15+ ARG ( p < 0.04). The fibrous matrix of the CC trabeculae stained evenly for collagen type I. In RAD 15, the intensity of the labelling was increased, whereas in RAD 15+ GLN and RAD 15+ ARG the staining was similar to that of CONTR . No staining changes were seen in the groups that were sacrificed 7 days after radiation. Cavernosal elastic fibre content in RAD 15 was increased by 61% ( p < 0.004), and this was prevented in RAD 15+ ARG ( p < 0.004) but not in RAD 15+ GLN . In TACS , the amino acids protected ( p < 0.02) against the radiation‐induced 92% increase in elastic fibre content, but only in RAD 15. Cell density in the UE , as well as UE thickness, were reduced by 30% in RAD 15 ( p < 0.004), and there were protective effects of both amino acids. In conclusion, radiation‐induced alterations in penile structures tend to be more pronounced 15 days after radiation session. Both ARG and GLN have protective effects against these changes, with the former being slightly more effective.